International Center for Cultural Studies

Poonam Sharma

International Center of Cultural Studies Postdoctoral Fellow(2020/8-2021/7)(2022/1-)

Introduction

以科技部個人專題計畫參與中心子計畫四，執行個人計畫：當代南亞和東亞非正規/非法移民現象；邊境政治以及由現代民族國家控制的日益嚴重的社會政治不平等；協助規劃國際會議2023 ACS Institute。

Degree title and the university

Dr Poonam Sharma 浦南 (Ph.D.) National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) Hsinchu, Taiwan.

Doctoral dissertation

The Invisible Politicized Roles and Religious Disorganization of Bangladeshi and Nepali Migrants in West Bengal and North-east India.

Brief work experience

2013~2014: Research Assistant in Center of Education, National Tsing Hua University Taiwan.
2014~2015: Research and Teaching Assistant in Center of Education, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan.
2018 (January ~ December): Project and Research Assistant under the Project titled: Conflict, Justice and Decolonization, at the International Center for Cultural Studies (ICCS), National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
2018: Project Assistant and Contributor for the blog for the International Centre for Cultural Studies (ICCS), National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan. http://iics.blog.nctu.edu.tw/the-impacts-of-colonial-british-raj-in-the-contemporary-indian-society/)
2020 (August ~ present): Editor of the International Center for Cultural Studies (ICCS), Working Paper Series (ISSN 2707-2193), National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan.
2020 (August ~ present) : Post-doctoral Fellow at the International Centre for Cultural Studies (ICCS), National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan.

Research Interests

The contemporary phenomenon of ‘migration ‘of irregular/illegal migrants in South and East Asia; unauthorized vote banks, citizenship policies, border politics and rising socio-political inequalities regulated by modern nation-states; post-colonial theories, inter-Asian cultural studies.

Research Project

I attempt to understand, how ‘migration’ as a phenomenon has become an integral part of modern nation-states. My doctoral thesis studied the irregular migration of Bangladeshi and Nepali migrants crossing the Indian borders of the North-east region and West Bengal that has emerged as a critical and debatable issue in Indian politics and public discourse. During my research at the International Center for Cultural Studies of Jiaotong University, this research will look into the complexity of the phenomenon of migration, fluctuating citizenship status of migrants amid the political and religious manipulation of migrant diasporas within the modern democratic sphere. While emphasizing on ethno cultural complexities, this research will form a comparative study among different South and East Asian countries. Described as a ‘threat’, ‘a problem’, ‘a social conflict’ this study would critically analyze the enrollment of migrants as ‘political tools’ and ‘socially excluded’ subjects. While the whole complication of migrants and citizens lie within the question of ‘citizenship’, this research will highlight the socio-political and economic inequality in relevance to irregular migration and the role of migrants in modern nation-states. Lastly, this study will attempt to study border politics, citizenship laws, migrant policies, and cultural promotions of contemporary societies.

The subprojects of the ICCS participated

Sub-project 4: Exceptional Zone at Sea and Dysfunctionality of Law? Future Policies on Migrant Fishers and Marine Life.
Organizer: International Center for Cultural Studies (ICCS), NYCU. Date: May 26, 2021.

CHCI-Global Humanities Institute 2020~2021: Online Summer Institute on Migration, Logistics and Unequal Citizens in Contemporary Global Context.
Title: The Invisible ‘Politicized’ Roles of Bangladeshi and Nepali Migrants in North East India and West-Bengal.
Organizer: International Center for Cultural Studies (ICCS), NYCU. Date: July 26~30, 2021.

De-colonization in the 21st Century
Organizer: ACS Institute, Association for Cultural Studies

Cluster II: Marginalized Population, Stateless Persons and Migrant Labors
Organizer: International Center for Cultural Studies, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, TAIWAN & Institute for Cultural and Society, Western Sydney University, AUSTRALIA. Ｄate: January 9-13, 2023

Personal research project

Migrant Politics and the ‘ambiguous’ concept of citizenship in post-colonial Asia

Jobs at ICCS

2018 (January ~ December): Project and Research Assistant under the Project titled: Conflict, Justice and Decolonization, at the International Center for Cultural Studies (ICCS), National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
2018: Project Assistant and Contributor for the blog for the International Centre for Cultural Studies (ICCS), National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan. http://iics.blog.nctu.edu.tw/the-impacts-of-colonial-british-raj-in-the-contemporary-indian-society/)
2020 (August ~ present): Editor of the International Center for Cultural Studies (ICCS), Working Paper Series (ISSN 2707-2193), National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan.
2020 (August ~ present) : Post-doctoral Fellow at the International Centre for Cultural Studies (ICCS), National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Dr. Poonam Sharma is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the International Center for Cultural Studies, National Chiao Tung University. Her central research area focuses on the phenomenon of ‘migration ‘of migrants/illegal immigrants as ‘unauthorized’ vote banks in South-Asian nations. She is looking forward to work at the broader aspect of migration and citizenship politics in a comparative study of India, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. Her research area also covers the contemporary border politics and unequal socio-political policies regulated by modern nation-states.

CURRENT POSITION

Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the International Center for Cultural Studies - ICCS, R103 HA Building 2, National Chiao Tung University, 1001 University Road, Hsinchu, Taiwan

EDUCATION

Ph.D., Institute of Social Research and cultural Studies, National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan (R.O.C), (Class of 2019, Fall Semester)
Master of Arts, Department of Sociology, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan (R.O.C), (Class of 2015, Fall Semester)
Bachelor of Arts, University of Delhi. New Delhi, India, (Class of 2012).

PUBLICATION

Upcoming: Journal article in the Special Issue titled: The Question of Legality vs. Illegality: International Migrant Labor and Unequal Citizens, Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, Routledge.
Chapter article titled: The Cross-Cultural Identity Formation of Migrants: The Case of the Nepali Migrants in Assam, India, in the handbook: Imagining the Possibilities of the University and the Civil Society from East Asia. Praxis of Coexistence in Cultural Diversity, Vol. 3, Tokyo: Integrated Human Sciences Program for Cultural Diversity (HIS), University of Tokyo, 2017.
Article titled: The Cross-cultural identity of Nepali Migrants in India for online platform, South’ Asia Watch, published on 23 December 2014; https://southasiawatch.tw/2014/12/23
Article titled: 英屬印度殖民史對當代印度的影響-The Impacts of Colonial British Raj in Contemporary India for the online platform of the International Centre for Cultural Studies (ICCS), National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan. Published on 5 June, 2018; http://iics.blog.nctu.edu.tw/the-impacts-of-colonial-british-raj-in-the-contemporary-indiansociety/
Article titled: The ‘turmoil’ of internal migration in India during the Covid-19 for the online platform of the International Center for Cultural Studies (ICCS), National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan. Published on 22 June, 2020; https://cjdproject.web.nctu.edu.tw/2020/06/22/the-turmoil-of-internal-migration-in-india-duringthe-covid-19/

DISSERTATION

National Chiao Tung University (Ph.D.): The Invisible Politicized Roles and Religious Disorganization of Bangladeshi and Nepali Migrants in West Bengal and North-east India.
National Tsing Hua University (Master): The Cross-Cultural Identity Formation of Migrants: The Case of the Nepali Migrants in Assam (India)

AWARDS AND HONOURS

International Scholarship for Doctoral Candidate, sponsored by Ministry of Education (MOE), Government of Taiwan, (ROC) (2015-2019)
Outstanding Student Scholarship for PHD at National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan (2015~2016)
International student scholarship for Masters at National Tsing Hua university, Taiwan (2012- 2015)
Best Academic Student Award for scoring highest Grades for years 2010 and 2011(Bachelor’s degree at University of Delhi)
Awarded Masterpiece in Photography competition for foreigners sponsored by Ministry of Education and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Taiwan (ROC), (2016)

WORK EXPERIENCE

2013~2014: Research Assistant in Center of Education, National Tsing Hua University Taiwan.
2014~2015: Research and Teaching Assistant in Center of Education, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan.
2018 (January-December): Project and Research Assistant under the Project titled: Conflict, Justice and Decolonization, at the International Center for Cultural Studies (ICCS), National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
2018: Project Assistant and Contributor for the blog for the International Centre for Cultural Studies (ICCS), National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan. http://iics.blog.nctu.edu.tw/theimpacts-of-colonial-british-raj-in-the-contemporary-indian-society/

SELECTED PRESENTATIONS

Presenter at the International Conference titled ‘Exploring New Rising Powers: First IndiaTaiwan Students Conference on India and China’. Paper titled: ‘How Migration Accelerates International Relations: India and Nepal’, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi; 21-22 January, 2014.
Presenter at the ‘7th Southeast Asian Studies Symposium’ on the Invisible Politicized roles of Bangladeshis and Nepalis in India’s north-east region and West Bengal’, at University of Indonesia, Jakarta, 22-24 March 2018.
Presenter at the ‘Fall 2017 IACS Final Project Symposium’ on the Invisible Politicized roles of Nepali and Bangladeshi Migrants’, 25 December, 2017.
Guest Presenter on ‘India-Taiwan cultural Diversity: Living in two different cultures’ at Nanhua University in Chiayi County, Taiwan (ROC), 15th November, 2017.
Presenter at the Conference and Workshop Series - Praxis of Coexistence in Cultural Diversity: Volume 3’ titled ‘Imagining the Possibilities of the University and Civil Society from East Asia’, at University of Tokyo, Japan, on 8-11 September, 2016.
Presenter at the ‘Conflict, Justice and Decolonization- II: Lecture & Workshop Series’, at Institute of SRCS, National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan (ROC); 2-3 June, 2017.
Discussant at the (Conflict, Justice and Decolonization II), of the paper ‘The Myth and Promises of Sustainable Development’, presented by Professor Walter Mignolo, Duke University, USA, at National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan (ROC), 7 April, 2017.
Guest Speaker at the Center for Studies on South Asia and the Middle East, National Chung Hsing University, Seminar Series titled: India’s New Citizenship Law: A Policy to protecting refugees or undermining the secular foundations of democracy? 02, January, 2020.

PARTICIPATION AND ATTENDENCE

Attendee: The Symposium on 2014 Indian General Election, Center for Asia Policy, National Tsing Hua University, May 28, 2014.
Attendee: Lecture by Carroll Smith-Rosenberg on ‘White Slaves/Black Revolutionaries, International Center for Cultural Studies, National Chiao Tung University, 20 November, 2019.
Attendee: Lecture by Abhijit Roy on ‘Media, Democracy and the State’ & Manash Ghosh on ‘City & Cinema: Calcutta Through the Lens of Satyajit Ray’, International Center for Cultural Studies, National Chiao Tung University, 16 November, 2019.
Attendee: The 2019 Association of International Relations (R.O.C.). Annual Meeting and Conference on “the Impact of Realism, Populism and Technology on the International Order”, Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs, Taipei, 30 November, 2019.

CERTIFICATION

Part-time Chinese course from the Department of Chinese Language and Literature, National Hsinchu University of Education, Taiwan; April-June, 2014.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

English (United Kingdom): Excellent
Hindi: Excellent
Chinese: Intermediate conversation
Bengali: Good
Nepalese: Excellent
Assamese: Excellent